1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a slider bed conveyor belt system and more specifically to a system that increases the useful life of a conveyor belt on a conveyor belt system by providing better support for the conveyor belt due to a slider bed working in conjunction with a plurality of idler rollers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A recurring problem with conveyor belt systems is that the conveyor belt can become worn and stretched due to the forces of impact loads being deposited on the conveyor belt. The forces cause the conveyor belt to sag and stretch. These forces are also transferred to the idler rollers causing the bearings and rollers to become worn.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,940 discloses a belt conveyor wherein a belt rests on a roller assembly mounted on telescopic spindles that allow the rollers to assume a deeper troughing angle. This deeper troughing angle brings the belt into frictional contact with a tray and two oppositely inclined plates. The patent discloses that this action acts to brake or retard the movement of the belt under gravity when the belt is loaded with material, but discloses nothing about how the load is supported or how the life of the belt is increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,584,288 discloses a belt that slidably rests on a sheet metal deck. This system, however, increases frictional contact on the underside of the belt, thereby causing the belt to wear.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,138 discloses a conveyor belt that rests on idler rollers, transverse support struts, and two side plate members. The problem of belt sagging, although somewhat alleviated by the transverse support struts, still exists.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,138 also discloses a modular belt conveyor system. That is, several units can be joined to form a longer belt conveyor system. A modular system is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,150.
In spite of these known conveyor systems, there remains a need for a conveyor belt system that is designed to both increase the efficiency of the conveyor and the useful life of the conveyor belt. There remains a need for a conveyor belt system that resists particle wear of the conveyor belt by distributing and supporting loads placed on the conveyor belt. There also remains a need to have adjustable idler rollers to accommodate different load sizes to further relieve load pressure on the idler rollers and conveyor belt.